In 1992, Ann and Jack, the proud parents of three beautiful children – two boys and a girl – were driving down the street when a woman lost control of her automobile hitting Ann and Jack’s car head-on, changing their life forever. Ann and Jack survived the crash but Jack, a former pilot and business executive sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury and ended up in a coma for six months. When the brain swelling receded and Jack emerged from his coma, the next chapter of Ann and Jack’s journey began.
As Jack emerged from his coma, it became clear that he was going to need specialized care and treatment. Initially, everyone was grateful that Jack had survived the crash. But he was left with balance issues and some expressive language impairments. While Jack’s intellectual abilities and temperament were largely unchanged, Jack was in need of a kind of supervision and assistance. Ann worked hard at this, along with raising her young children, the youngest of which was just three at the time of the accident. It was important to keep the family together.
After a number of years, it was clear that family-based care needed to be supplemented. By 2009, the kids were older, and Ann was largely left to try to manage Jack’s care on her own. She started to look for additional help, and began to consider whether or not personal care homes were an option. The hunt was on for a facility with a team of caring providers who could allow Jack his independence as he was capable, yet provide the support he needed.
The search was hard and difficult. Then Ann discovered Chandler Hall and the promise of acceptance, compassion and meeting the patient where they are in their journey. As Jack was highly functioning on an intellectual level, he began his Chandler Hall journey in independent living. Chandler Hall became an extension of Jack and Ann’s family, where the family could meet, cook meals together in the common area, and even invite other residents to join them, expanding their family of five to include others Jack now lived with full time. They celebrated family events and milestones, much as they did prior to the accident and to Jack’s moving to Chandler Hall.
Over time, Jack’s care needs increased due to his brain injury, and he moved to the Jordan Manor House for Personal Care. Here, he receives assistance with his personal care and medical needs. His family, of course, is still an active presence – even in the age of COVID-19. Before the pandemic, Jack’s family visited often and life continued as before, with the family growing and changing to include his Chandler Hall family.
We asked Ann to try to pinpoint what made Chandler Hall stand out in her mind. She replied, “More than watching over him, they love him. Everyone knows Jack. They accept him as a unique individual. He has his dignity. There are things that you can’t make people do. At Chandler Hall [caring] is there. They willingly search for the person within. Maybe it’s the Quaker values. I don’t know. I just know it’s there.”
We asked Ann how Jack was doing with all of the adjustments brought on by COVID-19 and how that might have changed her thinking about Chandler Hall. She replied without hesitation, “When COVID first started, Chandler Hall shut down immediately. There were very few cases. They proved themselves willing to make the tough decisions to keep residents safe.” Every decision is made to ensure residents are safe, and still connect to their loved ones through video calls and window visits, to keep families together as much as possible.
Chandler Hall came through for Ann and Jack 12 years ago when there weren’t many solutions to be had. In spite of the unfortunate turn of events, Ann and Jack’s family adjusted to a new reality. In fact, one could argue that they have done more than just adjust – they have flourished. Their life has continued on together, adjusting along the way – thanks in part to the wonderful team at Chandler Hall. Again to quote Ann, “Chandler Hall offers solutions in a world where there aren’t many – with open arms!”. And Chandler Hall- including the residents and staff, have become a part of Ann and Jack’s family as well.
When you are looking for help and assistance in the care of a loved one, Chandler Hall can help find the perfect solution for you and your family. With many levels of care available and a caring, dedicated staff, they can help design programs and services to meet your family needs, and also change and adjust as needed over time. We can be that partner in care you need, whether it’s for a short-term rehab stay, residential living, or skilled nursing care- we’re here for you and your family.